


Do you see me now?

by booabug (allthisink)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, POV Adrien Agreste, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Reverse Crushes, no secret identities, uh sort of reverse crushes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7081696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthisink/pseuds/booabug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damn, at it again with writing short fic inspired by Tumblr posts! In my defense, adrinette makes me so weak and it should be illegal <a href="http://ceejles.tumblr.com/post/145356362638/an-au-where-adrien-was-shorter-than-his-best">for Ceejles' art to be so good</a>. Just to be clear: <strong>This is based on the art, written after the artist had said it's okay for fic done inspired by it!</strong></p><p>Original post text: <em>An AU where Adrien was shorter than his best friend, Marinette, in grade school ‘ v  ‘</em></p><p>Marinette and Adrien have been friends since the age of seven. They're as close as can be, and life is good—until Mrs. Agreste disappears. For years afterwards, as much as he appears (maybe a little too) energetic and outgoing to anyone else, Marinette misses the Adrien she knows. That is, until a turn of fate brings him back- strangely enough, with the help of a magical black suit cat suit. It's a mixed blessing, as it comes with the emergence of Le Papillion.</p><p>This was a one shot, but I am officially weak, and this will be a three-parter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Church Bells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Crossposted on Tumblr.](http://booabug.tumblr.com/post/145379005623/ceejles-an-au-where-adrien-was-shorter-than-his)

**At the age of seven,** on a spring Saturday, Adrien's mother and father took him to the park nearby. Father wanted to stay close to home. Mother rolled her eyes. As they sat on a bench and spoke, their laughter drifted over once in a while as Adrien played in the grass. It made him smile. When the first drops of rain began falling, mother suggested they get some treats at the nearby bakery. By the time the store bell chimed as they entered, they were running from a flash downpour.

The proprietors- Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng- whisked the family of three upstairs to their cozy storetop apartment. They told them to make themselves at home as they waited out the storm. Adrien was used to over the top hospitality. "What an honour to have you here," and, "If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask," and always, "Tell your friends about us!" They said nothing of the sort— well, the second one, but not in the way he was used to hearing.

Maybe that was why father looked as surprised as the bakers when a little girl his age, with black hair and the bluest eyes he had even seen, came out of hiding from behind her father and quietly asked if father was Gabriel Agreste, the designer. It became clear her parents had no idea a multi-millionaire had walked into their store until after they had offered his family more blankets and towels than they would possibly need. Not that it changed how they acted. Tom (as the large man insisted on being called) had to go back down to mind the shop, but Sabine (again, 'Mrs. Dupain-Cheng' would not do) stayed and spoke to mother and father about how her daughter reads everything fashion related she can get her hands on.

The girl kicked her feet on the sofa by her mother, abashed but glad at father's approval. Eventually, they moved onto other topics, so Sabine and mother made her go play with him on the floor by the sofa. How to play with other children was not something he had a tutor for. Chloé dominated conversations for herself. Marinette, as the girl introduced herself as, asked Adrien about himself. Stiffly, he introduced himself as he did to everyone. She looked at him curiously. "I get that, but what do you like?"

Nobody had ever asked him that before.

Adrien fidgeted and worried at the carpet, trying to think of how to respond. She placed an encouraging hand on his and squeezed when a loud peal of thunder made him jump. Marinette burst into laughter. Not the polite laughter covered behind a hand, tinkling like a business door's chimes. No, loudly for everyone to hear, like the church bells you could feel in your chest, the ones that rang to draw in the faithful, or to celebrate them. He had never heard anything like it before. He raised his head enough to laugh back shyly. When they stopped, he spoke without thinking, "I like you."

She smiled at him. Adrien realized what he had said and sputtered, feeling very warm. He rubbed the back of his neck, but conversation, teasing, and laughter came easily after that.

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of nine,** their families were in the park, all together. Over the last two years, they had become the best of friends. That made him feel luckier than he could say She had to have so many school friends! He thought it was a matter of course for him. Chloé wasn't very kind, and he was homeschooled so the two girls were his only friends. Still, he had the feeling that even otherwise, he'd like Marinette better than anyone. He felt sure now, seeing how pretty she was, dressed up from her last day of the school year.

"You look like a princess!" Adrien exclaimed, slightly breathless. They had chased each other around in the grass until they couldn't anymore.

"You think so?" She asked, twirling around so her skirt flared out. She had been doing it until she got dizzy all day, this time tripping on her own feet, and he laughed as he caught her.

She was bigger than him, so he almost fell over himself. He gave her a big grin as she lay in his arms as if in a dancer's dip. "In the movies, you know, the princess always gets married to the prince in the end!"

"Isn't the prince always taller than the princess, though?" She teased, playful glint in her eyes as she straightened back up.

"You aren't so much taller than me!" He stood on his toes, putting one hand on his hip like heroes do. He held his palm out over her head as high as he could. "So if I grow taller than you like this, you'll marry me right?"

"How 'bout we see if the time actually comes, shortie?" She smiled and crossed her arms at him.

"It will!" He leaned in and winked. "I promise!"

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of eleven,** Adrien's mother disappeared. Father spent many days in the living room floor of the bakery with Sabine. Adrien and Marinette were sent to her attic room while the grown-ups spoke. They tried to listen through her trapdoor, but all they could hear were indistinct words, in serious tones. Often, silence.

"They never laugh anymore," he said, hugging her big cat pillow as they sat on her chaise lounge. "I wish mother would come back already so they'd laugh again."

"I wish she would too," Marinette said, rubbing his back.

At some point, he doesn't know when, he stopped saying things like that. He stopped hugging the cat pillow he liked so much and hugged her instead, like maybe she would go away too. If he hugged her tight enough, he was sure she wouldn't.

He tried to focus on the feeling of her hugging him back and the pictures all over her room, of them and their families with eye crinkling smiles and warm embraces. In all of them, the two best friends were together, and most of them had mother too. He tried hard to think of them when he would leave to go home, and he knew father didn't want him to look at his red face and puffy eyes.

Adrien saw father less and less. Maybe it was to make up for that, or maybe because father noticed how he became more like those hidden conversations of quiet talk and silences, lacking in laughter; whatever it was, it meant that when the school year began, father let him begin attending collège with Marinette.

They were fewer and farther between but, with time, pictures of the two of them began to go up on the walls of her attic room again.

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of fourteen,** everything changed. He received a ring with incredible power. In front of the Eiffel Tower, he- Chat Noir- held a shaken girl by the shoulders and told her how Chloé wouldn't still be there if it weren't for her.

He couldn't believe he hadn't realized it before. He should have realized it the first time they met, even behind the masks.

"They won't make it without us, and we're going to prove it to them," he said, looking into Ladybug's blue eyes. The bluest he had ever seen. The only ones that could set church bells ringing and warmth spreading in his chest. "Trust me. Alright, Marinette?"

She had been momentarily shocked, searching his own eyes. Then hers became set, determined, like he knew they would. "Alright, Adrien."

Then she swung off and he, of course, followed. She fought and he, of course, fought by her side. When all was said and done, she left the scene and he watched her go. He loved this city. He loved his new job. He loved her.

So who could blame him when he entered their next fight whooping with glee? She didn't. Though she told him to focus, she also gave him an ear to ear grin that only made him giddier. She snorted at his puns and flirtations in the suit but, as he could tell even in the dark, would be as red in the face as the mask on it when she turned away. It was puzzling, but thrilling.

He had always called her Princess and asked if she would marry him if he made the shot of crumpled paper into the recycling bin, or if he managed to run to next class before her, or if he could beat her in Ultimate Mecha Strike just once. She just thought it was a running joke, much to his chagrin. But as time went on and their alter egos blended into daily life, she began taking it differently. At least, if he wasn't imagining it (he hoped he wasn't). One day, remembering the very start of it all, he stalked up behind her.

"Princess," Adrien purred, getting even closer than usual for their near-lifelong bond. "Remember when you said we'd revisit the whole marriage thing when I grew taller than you? Well..."

He put one cocky hand on his hip and the other a bit over her head. He didn't even have to try. In fact, he was leaning in as he smirked deviously and asked, "Do you see me now?"

She turned away, burning cheek in hand. Facing him again, she smirked back. Marinette flicked his chin as if it were the bell on his suit. "Yes, _minou._ I finally see you again."

He sputtered, blushing, and laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW GET MARRIED.


	2. Admiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Crossposted on Tumblr.](http://booabug.tumblr.com/post/145833774658/do-you-see-me-now-ch-02)

**At the age of eight,** Marinette found herself in the living room with her mama and Mr. and Mrs. Agreste once again. They seemed to like mama a lot. They liked papa too of course, especially Mrs. Agreste, but mama was much calmer and more serious. Marinette guessed that made her fit in with the fancy couple better, even though mama did silly things too, like bounce her daughter on her leg as the little girl sat straddled on it. This was a game they played sometimes! Mama would let Marinette pretend she was on a horse, like the ones on the farms of family near Wenzhou she saw (and smelled!) when they visited.

Because of that funny way mama and Mrs. Agreste liked to gang up on Mr. Agreste, so he always ended up doing what they wanted, Marinette found herself on his leg. "No, no, I couldn't," he had said, eyes wide with his hands up, but mama and Mrs. Agreste wouldn't let him refuse. So it was with a nervous chuckle that Mr. Agreste played horsey with Marinette on his knee, tense hands hovering by her to make sure she wouldn't fall. She squealed and laughed with delight. Mr. Agreste wasn't so scary after all, even if he didn't smile very much and acted very stern.

"Me too! Me too!" Adrien ran up to them, his brightest of green eyes shining more than usual. His messy blonde hair even glowed in the sun! And so, Mr. Agreste bounced both of the laughing children on his knees as they held hands, his own still hovering ahead to keep them from falling forward. When Adrien lost his balance, he was quickly pulled into his father's lap. Mr. Agreste had decided that was quite enough horsey after that.

When Mr. and Mrs. Agreste left that day, Marinette waved at them from the door, yelling, "Uncle, byebye! Auntie, bye!"

She heard her auntie laugh. "It seems we've been adopted."

"Father, you look happy!" Adrien said.

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of ten,** Marinette began collège. She didn't know Chloé could be so nasty. She was never so mean before, when they played with Adrien. Marinette made school friends, but she looked forward to spending time with him the most. He was in so many classes and activities that they couldn't play every day, but they would at least call and talk.

One thing she learned about him, he was a cuddler. Though other kids said they had _'grown out'_ of holding hands and hugging so much through école primaire, Adrien never had. She didn't mind. Whenever they could play, he would greet her with a big hug!

Another thing she learned about him, he was a big goof! He would always make silly jokes like her papa did, and yell for her to watch him do tumbles, and cartwheels, and all sorts of things that made uncle scold him but which made auntie and Marinette laugh. Adrien had taken to calling her Princess and coming up with ways to get her to agree to marry him when they were older, too. He even thought up what their kids' names would be and said they would have a cat.

When it was time to go, he would always give her a big hug too! Once, he had kissed her on the cheek, then stuttered through a goodbye and ran away very quickly. Auntie found that very funny.

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of twelve,** the two were attending school together, but it was nothing like Marinette had imagined. At least they were in the same class, and Chloé wasn't quite as mean, but Adrien was all different since auntie disappeared. Marinette couldn't blame him at all. Though she missed auntie too, she couldn't imagine how much worse she would feel if mama went away. Maybe she would even become as distant as uncle. She admired that Adrien wasn't like that and was still really friendly even though he wasn't very playful anymore, and sometimes cried with her, or worse, wouldn't let himself. Then he would just sit still and silent, all coiled up.

She missed the big hugs and grins. Even the bad jokes, how he would try to show off, and his unruly hair. He was always put together carefully now, from his perfectly combed hair to the smile that didn't reach his eyes, like he was modeling even though he wasn't at work. At least he didn't act that way when they were alone or with just mama and papa. Otherwise, he always acted. Even around uncle.

Marinette missed her friend so much, which was silly because she still saw him every day. The thing was, he wasn't the friend in the pictures on her walls anymore. She was sure that the friend on her walls was still in the friend she saw at school, though. There had to be something she could do about it, even if she couldn't bring auntie back. She wasn't sure what, but papa and mama had always said that once she put her mind to something, she was unstoppable.

For once, she had to thank her bad luck.

When Adrien laughed— really laughed— for the first time in forever, she didn't get a picture of it to put up in her room. All the same, she would never forget it!

Once she got out of the umbrella that had shut on her, she closed it again to whack him with it for laughing, even as she herself giggled. He yelped and ran and offered to marry her if she would stop assaulting him. She told him it wasn't a very tempting offer as she chased him. He told her she was the meanest Princess ever.

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of fourteen,** everything changed. She received earrings with incredible power. Only, she didn't know if she could handle it. It was a mistake, she was sure. It was her brave new friend, Alya, who should have gotten it.

In front of the Eiffel Tower, she knew she was needed, but not if she was up to the task. It was only when she heard, "Trust me. Alright, Marinette?" That her nerves were jolted out of her, and she looked— really looked— into the brightest of green eyes her new partner had. Only, he wasn't new to her at all. Those eyes could only belong to the boy she admired most, even if he was known as Chat Noir at the moment.

"Alright, Adrien." If he could be the kindest, most reassuring person, could believe in anyone despite everything he had been through, and was still going through, then she wouldn't let him down. She would fulfill her new job. She would protect the city she loved. Her chest thundered with the thumping of her heart as they battled, but she trusted him.

After the akuma was purified, he knelt and took her hand to kiss it in a show of theatrics she had almost forgotten was a part of him. All at once, the nerves were back and she withdrew her hand before his lips could touch it. She grabbed his wrist and showed him how his ring was running out of time, then left the scene as quickly as she could. Her heart was pounding again and she felt hot all over, though the fight was long over.

Marinette could almost hear auntie laughing.

When Adrien, Chat, entered their next fight laughing and whooping, she knew her old friend was back. As he spent their time while suited up joking and flirting, even as she tried to get him (and herself) to focus, she knew she didn't just _like_ having him back. As he began acting more like himself in day to day life too, it was even harder to fight the fierce blushing and to make herself act flippant towards his goofing around without the mask, because she knew she _loved_ having him back.

She loved him.

 

* * *

 

 **At the age of seventeen,** after more than three years fighting Le Papillion, they finally found him. He had gotten stronger but so had they. Marinette and Adrien hadn't been chosen so young arbitrarily. The two had grown into their powers as naturally as they had grown into their adult bodies. Master Fu had said they were ready and, in that cryptic way he said many things, that he was sure everything would turn out well one way or the other.

The night before they would make their assault, they sat on a distant rooftop and looked at Le Papillion's base in the moonlight. Knowing that they may never get the chance again, they admitted their feelings for each other. Then they laughed over how ridiculous they had been for years.

Hand in hand, knowing they had always been unstoppable before, it was still sobering to wonder if they would have more years ahead of them.


End file.
